As essentially a replacement for Zack Wheeler, one of the best pitchers in the National League over the past two seasons, the spotlight was always going to be fixated on Marcus Stroman in 2020.

Following Noah Syndergaard‘s season-ending elbow surgery in March, the wattage on that spotlight was increased dramatically.

“I always have the utmost confidence in myself to go out there and perform,” Stroman said on a Zoom call on Sunday. “I feel like I should be able to step into the 2 [role], 3, 4, 1… whatever it may be.”

The Mets will need the right-hander to flatten out the ups and downs of his first half-season in New York. After pitching to a 5.05 ERA through his first seven starts, he rebounded to post a 1.88 mark over his final four.

“I’m settled in now,” Stroman said. “With the trade deadline, it was a bunch going on last year. Towards the end of the year I felt like my stuff started to move better and I started to execute how I wanted to.

“It’s just keeping my head where it needs to be, keeping my body where it needs to be. As much as those are in place, there’s nothing that can really stop me.”

It’s hard to describe, but Stroman’s presence adds a little something extra to the rest of the roster. Manager Luis Rojas said as much on Sunday, noting the improved team performance after Stroman was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays.

“As soon as he became a Met last year, you saw how the team had that push towards the end,” Rojas said. “He pitched really well for us, he was great in the clubhouse, and we feel that we have the same thing coming into camp and going into the season.”

The Mets were 33-20 after Stroman’s debut on August 3. They had gone 25-28 in their previous 53 games.

Stroman isn’t just pitching for a World Series title in 2020. As one of the top arms scheduled to hit the free agent market this winter, personal performance is important, too.

But being the zen mind that he is, Stroman knows the process will unfold like it is supposed to.

“The more I go through life the more I live in the present day and don’t focus on it,” he said. “I think I should be one of the top arms, I believe I’m one of the youngest, I’m extremely healthy, coming off a great year, so however it plays out it will play out.”

Still, there is no doubt that Stroman can set himself up for a huge payday with a dominant performance in the 60-game sprint. He might even have some new toys to put on display for potential suitors.

“I have some new weapons, man. I’m equipped. I’m ready.”

Stroman said he has rediscovered his four-seam fastball, which he threw 39.4 percent of the time in his rookie season in 2014 but was down to just 2.4 percent last year.

He intends to use that pitch up in the strike zone, a stark contrast to his two other fastballs: a sinker that runs down and in on righties and a cutter that dives in on lefties.

“I’m not scared of any situation,” Stroman said.

In a 60-game season, every start holds much more importance than in a normal year. Whatever pressure that might put on him, Stroman is already on top of it.

“There is no one who puts more pressure on myself than me,” he said. “I hold myself to the highest standard, and I want to go out there every day and be the guy my teammates can count on to go 6, 7, 8 innings.

“[Syndergaard] is a huge arm missing, he’s one of the best in the big leagues, so if you want to say it adds pressure then 100 percent, I’ll take the pressure.”